The Truth About CC – What He’ll Really Cost

O.K. Enough CNN. Enough local radio bulletins. Enough obsessing about the fire. It’s making me a nervous wreck. Despite the water-dropping planes and the best efforts of heroic firefighters, it’s not contained and the winds are supposed to get worse tomorrow and a friend who evacuated last night came back to his beautiful house today to find this.

Very depressing. I’d rather focus on the offer the Yankees made to Sabathia – $140 million for six years. And that was just the opening bid! Rumor has it we’ll go to $150 mil before it’s over!

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t alert the Yanks to the additional costs CC will incur. I mean, take a look at him.

He’s the size of a hippopotamus, no offense, and he’ll require several extras that will run up the Yankees’ tab.

For example, it’ll be a fortune just to feed him.

And keep him hydrated.

And to convey him between his residence and the ballpark.

He’ll need a bed suitable for his ample girth.

And size 18 EEEE Prada shoes.

Even the usual chain or two won’t be enough for his neck; he’ll need several.

You get the idea. We’re talking about the Yankees having to cough it up for super-sized everything. And so I have to ask: Is he worth it?

I hope that don’t plan on riding him like the Brewers did last year in the second half. It hear riding hippos is dangerous and they might have no choice. They really don’t have anyone to bridge between the starter and Rivera.

Did they ever stop and think that instead of buying a shiny new free agent gem every winter, they might wanna think about buying 5 maybe 6 six players that are just plain old good?

The Yankee formula doesn’t add up anymore. Time to change the recipe. It takes a complete team to win a world series these days. Join the 21st century.

The hippopotamus reference was said with love, levelboss. 🙂 Your rotation looks pretty impressive. But as you point out, we still need a hitter who can play first. Tex, that’s who.

Show me 5 or 6 plain old good players, Scott, and the Yankees will buy them! As for how to win the WS in the 21st century, I congratulate you on the Phillies but don’t get too comfy. It’s actually hard to win a championship 26 times.

Interesting suggestion, Aaron, but CC doesn’t strike me as the veggies type. I can’t picture him nibbling on celery sticks.

Happyyoungster, the Yankees seem determined to BE the highest offer, which means the Players Union will probably force Sabathia to take it. They like to set the bar for other players, so while CC prefers California (wildfires? hello?), he’ll end up a Yankee. And don’t be too envious. Nobody’s won anything yet!

Another excellent visual tour of what it will really cost to accomodate CC Sabathia. His bad playoff record worries me, but he’s good in clutch regular season games, so I don’t know what to think…http://newmexicanyanksfan.mlblogs.com

I remember when he pitched against us in Game 1 of the ’07 ALDS in Cleveland. He was wild – we had a bunch of walks and got his pitch count up – but he never let the game get out of hand. While he hasn’t been lights out in the postseason, he’s still a guy I’d want out there.

Sorry to hear about your friend’s misfortunes, I hope that the fires don’t effect you.
When you guys get CC (it’s to the point where it’s only a matter of time now), you guys will have one hell of a pitching rotation. If you guys decide to go after Peavy… then I, and the entire baseball world will constantly fear the Yankees.
-Elizabeth

Firstly, I hope that you are safe and remain to stay that way. I am so sorry about your friend – you will all remain in my thoughts and prayers. As a Red Sox fan, I hope that the Yankees DO acquire CC – while you might have a great rotation for the regular season, I am NOT impressed by CC in the playoffs. Don’t think it will help Yankees, but hey – it’s in their nature – every big name, express player they go after! Good luck! I hope it works out.http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/

Oh, Jane. You make valid points, but maybe I went a little too far with the alliteration and lost you.

First off. The Atlanta Braves not only went to the playoffs from 1992-2006, they won the division every year too. And they did it with solid pitching top to bottom and an outstanding farm system. And the NL east isn’t a cupcake division either.

I think the Yanks were smart enough last year to realize they needed to get rid of some salary and some dead weight before they could offer Santana a big contract; plus they also dropped a tenth of a billion on their underachieving third baseman. And yes, a .302 with 35 HRs, 103 RBI and .573 slugging qualifies as underachieving when you’re being paid that much money.

Giambi and Abreu are gone; Matsui may go too. I don’t know what else, but c’mon. Cano? Cabrera? WANG? Hardly promising youth. Chamberlain has a huge upside, but I’m not sold on him yet. A-Rod was the Cadillac that Steinbrenner bought a few years ago and Damon was a used Volvo. Sabathia is the Hummer.

Sabathia is awesome. But one pitcher does not a rotation make. Nor does one pitcher win 20 games without a reliable bullpen.

The dynamic I am referring to is the TEAM dynamic they had in the 90’s. Paul O’Neil, Bernie Williams, Scott Brosias. They;re players who would have faded into oblivion anywhere else, but together, they were unstoppable. They were a TEAM. I don’t know who these guys are.

Hey, Elizabeth. Thanks for your good thoughts about the fires. I doubt the Yankees will get Peavy, but I’ve given up trying to predict these things.

Thanks to you too, Julia. I appreciate it. So you think the Yankees go after every big name player? Every single one? Hm. Just want to remind you that the Red Sox went after A-Rod first. And then there was Beckett, who was not exactly an unknown. And how much did Dice-K cost? Lugo? Drew?

Can’t imagine how much bling CC must have/will have, Kaybee. None of those titanium necklaces for him. I see lots of gold. Or maybe diamonds.